Shoppers keeping fat low
If you want protein from a portable snack, compare fat and saturates per 100g before looking at the amount in the bar you would eat. A high-protein description does not establish that a bar is low fat.
Who is this choice for?
Gym-goers choosing a convenient snack
The Myprotein, Barebells and PhD servings compared here each provide 20–21g protein, according to their product information. Their serving sizes and fat amounts differ, so check the complete serving rather than choosing by protein grams alone.
Shoppers checking ingredients and warnings
Check the exact flavour for allergens and dietary suitability. Barebells UK lists milk in its Cookies & Cream bar and warns of possible contact with other allergens; several of the checked manufacturers also warn that excessive consumption may have laxative effects.
What should you check first?
Use the per-100g panel to compare bars on the same basis, then use the serving figures to decide whether a particular bar fits your plan.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Total fat | Check fat per 100g against the NHS low-fat benchmark of 3g or less per 100g. Then check fat in the bar you would eat. | If I need a snack that qualifies as low fat, I will filter by the per-100g figure rather than the protein claim. The three Myprotein, Barebells and PhD flavours compared here contain 10–14g fat per 100g, according to their product information. |
| Protein per bar | Compare protein for the stated serving size, and check whether bars of different weights are being compared. | I want to know how much protein the whole snack provides. The checked 60g Myprotein and 55g Barebells bars each list 20g; PhD lists 21g for its 64g Chocolate Brownie bar. |
| Saturates and energy | Read saturates and kcal per bar separately from total fat. Check the serving weight before comparing figures. | A bar may fit my fat allowance but still need accounting for as a whole snack. The checked Myprotein, Barebells and PhD bars list 212, 190 and 250 kcal per bar respectively, according to their product information. |
| Ingredients and warnings | Read the allergen statement for the exact flavour. Check any sweetener or excessive-consumption warning on the current pack. | Before buying a multipack, I need to know whether that flavour suits my ingredient requirements and whether its warning affects how I would use it. |
What is easy to overlook?
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Reading “high protein” as “low fat”
Protein and fat are separate entries on the nutrition panel. The NHS low-fat benchmark is 3g fat or less per 100g; the three Myprotein, Barebells and PhD flavours compared here list 10–14g per 100g.
For a strict low-fat choice, filter by total fat per 100g first. Then compare saturates and the nutrition in one bar.
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Comparing protein without checking bar size
The checked bars weigh 55g, 60g and 64g. Their manufacturers list 190–250 kcal and 6.2–9.2g fat per bar, so similar protein figures do not describe the whole serving.
Compare per 100g for a consistent product comparison, and per bar for what you would actually eat.
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Assuming every flavour has the same ingredients
An allergen statement for one flavour cannot establish the ingredients of another. Barebells UK, for example, says its Cookies & Cream bar contains milk and may contain cereals containing gluten, soy, peanuts and nuts.
Read the current ingredient and allergen information for the exact flavour and pack before buying a multipack.
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Overlooking sweetener warnings
Barebells UK, PhD and Grenade warn that excessive consumption of the checked bars may have laxative effects. That warning matters when deciding how many bars to buy and use.
Check the exact product warning and follow its serving guidance rather than relying on a low-sugar description.
Which brand references are useful?
These examples illustrate what to compare on a particular flavour’s label; a brand name alone does not establish its fat content.
Myprotein
The Layered Protein Bar range includes the Triple Chocolate Fudge flavour.
- Myprotein lists 20g protein and 6.2g fat per 60g Triple Chocolate Fudge bar.
- It lists 10g fat per 100g, above the NHS low-fat benchmark of 3g per 100g. Myprotein also states that this flavour is not suitable for vegetarians.
Barebells
The Cookies & Cream original bar is a 55g, chocolate-coated protein bar.
- Barebells UK lists 20g protein and 190 kcal per bar.
- The same bar lists 6.4g fat and 3.1g saturates. It contains milk and carries warnings for possible contact with several other allergens.
PhD
The Smart Protein Bar range includes a 64g Chocolate Brownie flavour.
- PhD lists 21g protein per Chocolate Brownie bar.
- It also lists 9.2g fat, 3.4g saturates and 250 kcal per bar; PhD warns that excessive consumption may cause laxative effects.
Grenade
The Caramel Chaos product page describes a 60g protein bar.
- Grenade lists 21g protein and 1.5g sugar per Caramel Chaos bar.
- Those figures do not establish its fat content; check the exact flavour’s nutrition panel. Grenade also warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.
Quest
Quest’s Chocolate Caramel Pecan Hero Bar has a US-market nutrition label.
- Quest lists 15g protein for the 60g US bar.
- Its US label lists 9g fat and 6g saturates per bar. Do not apply those figures to a UK-labelled Quest product without checking that product’s own panel.
Tesco
Tesco is a retailer with protein bars and related snack formats in its grocery category.
- Its category listing includes products from brands such as TREK, Barebells, Nature Valley and Fulfil.
- A category listing does not show that an individual flavour is low fat. Compare the product’s own nutrition panel.
Grenade bars on Joybuy
These Grenade Oreo Flavour and Soft Core listings are protein-bar options to assess when your snack plan allows some fat. For a strict low-fat filter, check the exact flavour’s current per-100g nutrition panel before choosing.
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Grenade Oreo Flavour Protein Bars, 4 × 60g
Consider this 60g-bar pack only if your plan permits fat in a protein snack. Its fat content does not meet the NHS low-fat benchmark; check the Oreo Flavour pack for total fat, saturates and allergens.
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Grenade Soft Core Double Chocolate Protein Bars, 12 × 50g
This 50g-bar multipack is for a protein-focused snack choice rather than a strict low-fat filter. Check total fat per 100g and per bar, plus the Double Chocolate ingredient list, before committing to a pack.
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Grenade Soft Core Golden Caramel Protein Bars, 12 × 50g
The Golden Caramel bars come in 50g servings. Their listed fat content does not meet the NHS low-fat benchmark, so compare the exact flavour’s serving fat and saturates with the amount your snack plan allows.
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Grenade Soft Core Peanut Butter Protein Bars, 12 × 50g
This Peanut Butter multipack contains 50g bars and is not a low-fat option under the NHS per-100g benchmark. Check the serving nutrition and the exact flavour’s allergen statement, particularly if peanuts affect your choice.
Common questions
What counts as low fat for a protein bar?
The NHS describes a food with 3g total fat or less per 100g as low fat. The specific Myprotein Triple Chocolate Fudge, Barebells Cookies & Cream and PhD Chocolate Brownie bars compared here list 10g, 12g and 14g fat per 100g respectively, so none meets that benchmark.
Should I compare nutrition per bar or per 100g?
Use both: per 100g puts different bar sizes on a comparable basis, while per bar shows the amount in the serving you would eat. Check the stated bar weight so you do not compare a 55g serving with a 64g serving as though they were identical.
Does low sugar mean a protein bar is low fat?
No. Sugar and total fat are separate nutrition figures. Check the fat and saturates entries for the exact flavour rather than using a low-sugar or high-protein description as a substitute.
What should I check before buying a multipack?
Read the exact flavour’s serving nutrition, ingredients, allergen statement and any sweetener warning first. Barebells UK says its Cookies & Cream bar contains milk and may contain other listed allergens; it also warns that excessive consumption may have laxative effects.
Can a protein bar stand in for a low-fat meal?
Protein content alone does not establish that a bar provides what a meal would. If considering one in place of a meal, compare its full serving nutrition and ingredients with what it would replace, in the context of your overall eating pattern.